City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 12.6% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $112,600 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Jackson, MS to Port St. Lucie, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Jackson, MS | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,555 in Port St. Lucie | $88,845 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
38 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Jackson, MS to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Jackson → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $53,610 | $47,630 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $128,510 | $114,175 (+17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $79,430 | $70,570 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $82,090 | $72,933 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.